The River Fund Maine recognizes that youth need more opportunities to see themselves as change-agents and to build community with others who are ready to step into the challenge of leadership in this complex world. TRFM workshops offer students a life-changing experience in creative problem-solving using the acclaimed Design Thinking methodology. Developed by Stanford University, Design Thinking takes a real-life problem and challenges teams of students to develop a solution. During an immersive weekend led by trained facilitators, youth will be challenged to:
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Develop interviewing skills when they must talk to people who actually experience the problem in their daily life. Understand how to really listen to other people with empathy.
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Learn how to identify what the “real” problem is. Differentiate between the root cause of an issue and the surrounding contributing factors.
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Work as a team to brainstorm solutions. Understand effective communication techniques when working with others to arrive at a consensus.
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Create a workable solution. Understand how an iterative approach encourages thoughtful experimentation. Experience how an open mind to the thoughts and ideas of others can improve a result. Develop skills in how to forge agreement on a single solution from many points of view.
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Create an effective presentation of the team’s solution and present it to a panel of industry experts.